Battle of Xuan Castle

The Battle of Xuan Castle occurred in 197 AD when a Shanyue army attacked Sun Quan at Xuancheng in Yang Province. Zhou Tai distinguished himself during the battle, becoming a trusted general of Sun Ce.

Battle
While Sun Ce was absent, the Shanyue tribe attacked Xuan Castle, which was defended by his brother Sun Quan and his general Zhou Tai. The Shanyue attacked the castle from all sides, and the brigands got the upper hand at night. Zhou Tai bravely slew several of the Shanyue barbarians while defending Sun Quan, receiving over a dozen wounds before routing the barbarians from the castle. Zhou Tai received meritorious scars which were then healed by Hua Tuo, and he became known as one of Sun Ce's most loyal generals. Sun Ce then attacked and destroyed the brigands, pacifying the Southlands. Sun Ce then set garrisons at all of the strategic points in Jiangdong.

Aftermath
With Wujun pacified, Sun Ce came to an understanding with Cao Cao and demanded that Yuan Shu return the Imperial Jade Seal to him. Yuan Shu was incensed that he let Sun Ce borrow an army to take the Southlands, only for him to say nothing of repayment and to demand the return of the seal. While Yuan Shu sought to destroy Sun Ce, Yang Dajiang advised him to first focus on destroying Liu Bei, which he attempted to do at the Battle of Xiaopei.